How Do I Create Training Materials for New Employees in a Small Business?

By Bill Stilwell · Last reviewed October 18, 2026

The short answer

Training materials turn your written procedures into something a new person can learn from. Build a short training path for each role, show people the tools and accounts they’ll use, explain how you expect them to treat customers, check that they understood, keep a record that training was done, and schedule refreshers. Safety training has its own page, 11.4.2 Safety Training.

Why it matters

Untrained staff learn by guessing. A new technician at a heating company tells a customer a repair is “no big deal” and the customer is shocked by the bill. A new office hire replies to a bad review in anger. Both end up on your profile for everyone to read. A little structure up front costs far less than fixing your reputation later.

22.10.1 Role training

What it means: a training path for each role.

How to do it: for each role (see 23.2 Defining a Role), list the procedures that person must learn, in the order they’ll use them. Pair each with the written procedure, a short demo, and a supervised first try. Keep it to what they need in the first week, then add more.

Common mistake: one giant binder for everyone instead of a short path for each role.

22.10.2 System training

What it means: the tools and access each person needs, and how to use them safely.

How to do it: list every system the role uses, such as scheduling, customer relationship management (CRM), payments, email, and phones. Give only the access they need (see 11.7.6 Least Privilege Access). Show them how to log in with multi-factor authentication (MFA) and how to handle customer data (see 11.6.7 Privacy Training).

Common mistake: sharing the owner’s login so the new person can “get started.” Give each person their own account.

22.10.4 Customer training

What it means: how to communicate and what service customers should expect.

How to do it: write a short guide: how to greet customers, response times, what to say when there’s a delay, what not to promise, how to handle complaints (see 17.8 Complaint Handling), and how to ask for a review the same neutral way with everyone (see 14.6.2 Neutral Review Requests). Role-play the hard conversations.

Common mistake: assuming good people will naturally say the right thing. Give them the words.

22.10.5 Assessment

What it means: confirm the person understood.

How to do it: use a short quiz, a skills check where they do the task while you watch, or both. Sign off each item only when they can do it without help.

Common mistake: counting training as done because they watched a video.

22.10.6 Records

What it means: keep proof that training was completed.

How to do it: keep a simple log: person, training item, date, who trained them, and sign-off. Store it with employee records (see 23.7 Employee Records). Some trades and safety rules require training records, so check what applies to you.

Common mistake: no record, so you can’t show what someone was taught after an incident or complaint.

22.10.7 Refreshers

What it means: scheduled retraining.

How to do it: set refreshers at least yearly, and right away after a procedure changes, a mistake happens, or a new tool is added (see 22.11 Updating Procedures).

Common mistake: training once at hire and never again, while the procedures keep changing.

When to get help from a pro

An industry association or specialist can tell you about training your trade or state requires. Questions to ask:

Is there required training or certification for my type of work?
How long do I need to keep training records?
Are there ready-made training materials for my trade I can adapt?

Bill’s note

[Bill: add a short note. For example, how you would train someone to help manage client Google Business Profiles for SiteSmarty, or a business whose reviews changed after it trained staff on customer communication.]

How I did this for SiteSmarty

[Date I did this:]
[What I actually did, step by step: the training path for my first SiteSmarty helper or contractor]
[What it cost and how long it took:]
[What surprised me or what I’d do differently:]
[Screenshot or photo to add, with private info blurred: a role training checklist and sign-off log]
[Result so far:]

Questions people ask

What should new employee training cover? The procedures for their role, the systems they use, how to treat customers, and safety for their work.

Should new staff use my login? No. Give each person their own account with only the access they need.

How do I know training worked? Watch them do the task without help, or use a short quiz, before signing off.

How often should I retrain? At least yearly, and whenever a procedure or tool changes.

Audit check

Outline line	Question	Pass looks like	Fail looks like	Evidence to collect
22.10.1 Role training	Does each role have a training path?	Short path per role	One binder for all	Training folder
22.10.2 System training	Does each person have their own access and system training?	Own login, least access, MFA	Shared owner login	Access inventory
22.10.4 Customer training	Is there a written customer communication guide?	Guide with scripts	Nothing written	Guide doc
22.10.5 Assessment	Is understanding checked before sign-off?	Quiz or skills check	Video only	Assessment record
22.10.6 Records	Is training completion recorded?	Log with dates and trainer	No record	Training log
22.10.7 Refreshers	Are refreshers scheduled?	Yearly and after changes	Never	Calendar and log

Where this fits

Do this first: 22.1 Writing Standard Operating Procedures

Do this next: 22.11 Updating Procedures

Sources

Google Business Profile Help, "Tips to improve your local ranking on Google" (checked October 18, 2026)

This page explains general rules and Bill's own experience. It is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your situation.